Silent Night
by luvsanime02
Summary: Duo and Heero celebrate Christmas during the Edo period of Japan, when Christianity is illegal and punishable by death.


**Disclaimer:** I don't own Gundam Wing, and am making no profit off of this fic.

 **AN:** Just a little holiday season gift for Clara.

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 **Silent Night** by luvsanime02

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Duo and Heero were lying down on the futon, squished together on the narrow mattress with their legs entwined and their arms wrapped around each other. The sun was close to setting, and its dying light illuminated a section of the far bedroom wall where a new ukiyo-e was hanging.

The painting depicted a skeletal specter, shrouded in a black robe and carrying a scythe, flying over the heads of an oblivious crowd of festival celebrators below. It should look morbid, but in fact, it reminded Duo of a festival that he and Heero had gone to a few months ago. And if he looked closely, Duo could see the impression of fireworks in the background, faint but undeniably present.

Whatever the reason why, Duo fell in love with the painting at first sight, and he'd bought it for Heero knowing that he'd love it too. Heero took one look at the scene shown and immediately moved to hang it up on his bedroom wall, taking down some calligraphy that was previously in its place. Duo was positive that the calligraphy was old and expensive, a family heirloom, but he didn't say anything about Heero removing it, just enjoyed the warmth in his chest at seeing his present displayed so proudly.

"It's snowing," Heero murmured, calling Duo back out of his thoughts. He looked out the window, and sure enough, clouds had formed overhead. Now small and delicate flakes of snow were falling slowly from the sky.

"Beautiful," Duo breathed. He loved the snow, always had. It wasn't always cold enough for snow in Edo, even during December, and Duo missed the pretty sight when it was absent.

Wrapped up in Duo's arms, Heero snuggled closer, his back pressed up against Duo's chest, as though to remind them both that even though it was cold outside, in here it was plenty warm enough. Heero's sleeping yukata slipped open around his thigh when he shifted his leg so that he could run his foot along Duo's calf. Duo ran his hand up the newly-visible skin before he folded the fabric closed again. They'd have to get out a blanket from the closet before they fell asleep. Duo would be fine without it, especially with Heero lying on him during the night, but Heero would undoubtedly get cold tonight.

"Is the snow this nice in Niigata?" Heero asked him.

Duo smiled into Heero's neck, kissing the skin there softly. "Yes," he affirmed. "I've always loved the snow. At the orphanage where I grew up, the first day of the year that it snowed all of us kids would run outside and play in it the whole day, or as long as the adults let us." He laughed in remembrance. "We'd all come down with colds in the next week or so, but none of us ever cared."

Heero rubbed his hands up and down Duo's arms where they were wrapped around his waist, silently encouraging Duo to keep talking if he wanted. Duo knew that he didn't often speak of the good days at the orphanage, before the shogunate had decided to ban Christianity from the islands. Before Duo's childhood was burned down, and the only people he'd ever considered family were killed in front of him.

"I used to love it when the baking started for Christmas," he said, keeping his eyes on the window and the steadily falling snow. "The whole place smelled like gingerbread and pies for a week. It was enough to drive us kids crazy with hunger, but we loved it too, knowing that we had the feast to look forward to."

"And the tree?" Heero asked. Duo had told him about that custom before, and although Heero hadn't said so, Duo knew that the idea charmed him more than any of the other traditions.

"As big as we could find," Duo promised. Which sometimes wasn't very, but Duo didn't want to spoil the magic he was weaving with his story. That was what Christmas was really about, Duo knew. The magic. Duo hoped he could teach that to Heero eventually, if nothing else. "Decorated with all of these handmade stars and balls everywhere. Thinking back now, it probably actually looked really ugly, but Sister Helen exclaimed over the tree every year like it was just the prettiest thing..."

His voice trailed off, and he had to fight to swallow the sudden lump in his throat. Duo could almost hear her voice, and the laughter of all the children gathered around her. Could almost see the stained glass window reflecting the falling snow in a myriad of colors across the wooden floors of the church. His first home. His only home, really.

Duo blinked away the memories, and then he was back in Heero's bedroom at his family compound. The whole place was silent except for them, empty. Duo was aware that Heero's childhood hadn't been any more pleasant than his own.

They were both quiet for a few minutes. After a bit, Heero slowly untangled their arms and turned around, carefully wiping the wetness from Duo's cheeks before kissing him softly. "Maybe next year, we can get a tree and decorate it very poorly."

Duo chuckled. He said nothing about the implied promise of them still being together a year from now, and simply buried his face in the thin fabric covering Heero's shoulder. "Sounds wonderful," he admitted. "Merry Christmas, Heero."

"Merry Christmas, Duo."

The two of them laid there together, and celebrated the holy night with slow kisses and light caresses, until they finally fell asleep later under a blanket, warm and sheltered and content.


End file.
